Recruits for Season 2024

Kaelen Bradtke, who was chased by WWTFC before the 2023 season, before being selected by Richmond in the SSP draft then delisted, has joined Geelong VFL. Perhaps Mitch Hardie can get in his ear about the merit of moving to our Eagles in 2025 !

Did anyone go to the Eagles AGM and hear the coaches report for the upcoming season ?

The SANFL ins outs have been updated to show as expected Rory Lehmann playing with Dan Menzel at Coorong

Didn't make it to the AGM but have a source.
Jarrad Redden an official in for 2024.
Brinker Ritchie having exploratory surgery on a troublesome knee (Tendonitis) and Jordan Lukac also having a delayed pre season due to injury. I'm expecting Reddo to play Round 1.

Reddo has taken the advice of opposition supporters and ditched the Pies and has dropped a heap of weight in the process I'm told.

Goddsy11 wrote:I was hoping Sauce may have asked a player or 2 from his old club to try out.

Sauce was close to their best player last year but says he’s not up to SANFL standard. Therefore maybe the others aren’t either. After all they’re a suburban club not a country club.

As an aside, Reddo was born on 27.12.1990 and Sauce on 10.4.1988.

One further aside, next year will be the last for “Pies and Sauce” after that it’s only “Sauce”! You bloody bewdy!

Went to the AGM last night. The best conducted AGM for some years. Much more info given and the use of the big screen to show important dot points was excellent.
Dave Couzner was very impressive and has a great PR touch.
Sauce Jacob's presentation was excellent, he is a natural speaker.
In regard to Brinker-Ritchie I don't think he has tendonitis but Lukac has. Tomorrow B-R will have an exploratory procedure to determine what the problem is. He has already had some fluid drained and blood taken to test for an infection, no infection was found. The way it was told it appeared the two had tendonitis but I don't think this was correct.
The training list has been cut from 67 to 61.
Shane Hancock is the reserves coach.
The yearly payment of $300,000 to each SANFL club for the sale of football Park has now come to end end.
722 will be installing a sports bar.
Barbara Stephens left a legacy of $141,000 to the club.
It will cast $600,000 to instal an electronic score board. The club has deferred making a decision as to going ahead with this project as the club feels the $600,000 could be better spent.
Renovations of the change rooms in the Percy Fox stand are due to start in September.
The football club received a gift of $715,000 from 722 Port Road.
Beside the two grants for upgrading change rooms in the Barry Jarman Stand the club has also put in $234,000 of it's own funds with still more to be put in.
Some of my observations:
At the start of preseason training, training seemed to be a little disorganised with no purpose or intensity (my view only). The recent quality of training has been very good, the intensity has increased significantly and the running has been tortuous. I think early on Sam was getting used to the squad and what level some of the players were at. I must admit integrating the newbies and the former under 18s would have been difficult.
Sam likes a lot of match simulation and Wednesdays has plenty of that.
Sam is also very good at lightening the serious atmosphere with some excellent little one on one battles ie wrestling, goalkicking etc, the players love it and barrack enthusiastically.
Both Will Neumann and Patrick Weckert have significantly changed their body shapes.
Can't wait for the trial matches.

wimpy wrote:Went to the AGM last night. The best conducted AGM for some years. Much more info given and the use of the big screen to show important dot points was excellent.
Dave Couzner was very impressive and has a great PR touch.
Sauce Jacob's presentation was excellent, he is a natural speaker.
In regard to Brinker-Ritchie I don't think he has tendonitis but Lukac has. Tomorrow B-R will have an exploratory procedure to determine what the problem is. He has already had some fluid drained and blood taken to test for an infection, no infection was found. The way it was told it appeared the two had tendonitis but I don't think this was correct.
The training list has been cut from 67 to 61.
Shane Hancock is the reserves coach.
The yearly payment of $300,000 to each SANFL club for the sale of football Park has now come to end end.
722 will be installing a sports bar.
Barbara Stephens left a legacy of $141,000 to the club.
It will cast $600,000 to instal an electronic score board. The club has deferred making a decision as to going ahead with this project as the club feels the $600,000 could be better spent.
Renovations of the change rooms in the Percy Fox stand are due to start in September.
The football club received a gift of $715,000 from 722 Port Road.
Beside the two grants for upgrading change rooms in the Barry Jarman Stand the club has also put in $234,000 of it's own funds with still more to be put in.
Some of my observations:
At the start of preseason training, training seemed to be a little disorganised with no purpose or intensity (my view only). The recent quality of training has been very good, the intensity has increased significantly and the running has been tortuous.  I think early on Sam was getting used to the squad and what level some of the players were at. I must admit integrating the newbies and the former under 18s would have been difficult.
Sam likes a lot of match simulation and Wednesdays has plenty of that.
Sam is also very good at lightening the serious atmosphere with some excellent little one on one battles ie wrestling, goalkicking etc, the players love it and barrack enthusiastically.
Both Will Neumann and Patrick Weckert have significantly changed their body shapes.
Can't wait for the trial matches.    

When you say the training list has been cut from 67 to 61 does this include the full U18 squad? That is still a lot of players who won't make the cut of the League side and the Reserves. Are there any 'unknown' types from the country who have slipped into the training squad who wouldn't classify as an advertised recruit who might have any height?

Great to see Weckert taking things seriously and having a crack this pre-season. It would have been very easy for him to spit the dummy after not getting drafted and go back to cricket but looks like he is prepared to do the hard yards. Hopefully we see the benefits because he undoubtedly has talent.

I think 14 of last seasons U18 were invited out to senior training. Last season there were a significant number of under agers playing in the team and these will still be training with the U18s except for Kade Herbert who mostly trains with the SANFL academy squad and sometimes with our senior group. We have about eight U18 players training with the SANFL academy.
I know Ryan Williams, Ollie Siney and Tyrone Hill were recently cut but I don't know who the other three are, it must have happened very recently. I don't think any of last years U18 would have been cut yet, they would be given time to get used to the more demanding level of training. I think the training squad has to be cut to about 54.

wimpy wrote:I think 14 of last seasons U18 were invited out to senior training. Last season there were a significant number of under agers playing in the team and these will still be training with the U18s except for Kade Herbert who mostly trains with the SANFL academy squad and sometimes with our senior group. We have about eight U18 players training with the SANFL academy.
I know Ryan Williams, Ollie Siney and Tyrone Hill were recently cut but I don't know who the other three are, it must have happened very recently. I don't think any of last years U18 would have been cut yet, they would be given time to get used to the more demanding level of training. I think the training squad has to be cut to about 54.

Hill has been cut I look more silly than normal lol saying they should’ve played him in the league . Geez I know nothing

Excellent summary of the AGM, thanks Wimpey. You must have listened intently.

Would be good to know who the other 3 who were cut are - Carter Norman possibly?

The days of guys playing Reserves year after year or as it's now called the "development League" are well and truly over. Guys like Tyron Hill, who showed a little bit last year when put forward, will be moved on if they don't crack league ranks in one or two years to make way for a new batch of kids to get their chance to impress. Very different to the 80's where playing 100 plus games of Reserves footy was not unusual.

The Barton wrote:Excellent summary of the AGM, thanks Wimpey. You must have listened intently.

Would be good to know who the other 3 who were cut are - Carter Norman possibly?

The days of guys playing Reserves year after year or as it's now called the "development League" are well and truly over. Guys like Tyron Hill, who showed a little bit last year when put forward, will be moved on if they don't crack league ranks in one or two years to make way for a new batch of kids to get their chance to impress. Very different to the 80's where playing 100 plus games of Reserves footy was not unusual.

Spot on Barton and yep Wimpy pays attention very well I’ve found out over many years he knows a lot .
Gone are the days of playing lots of years in the seconds

Sheedy was very much against calling it the reserves or seconds always wanted it referred to as the "development team/squad". Nowadays clubs must find out what they have and put plenty of effort in to developing them.

Looks like Chad Sayers will be the league runner this season.
He and brother Aaron played under age and a couple of reserves games for the Eagles.

Jed Thompson and a youngster from Western Australia named Dunn have also been cut.

Will Neumann did best in last nights 2km time trial - 6.10. His impressive pre-season might/should get him league games. Zac Buck also ran extremely well.

Cameron Fleeton was ecstatic at running a PB. He has been very surprised at the level of training, the intensity and the amount of running that has been done.

Any talk on Tom Luck coming to us ? I’ve heard he may have been delisted

Goddsy11 wrote:

Mickyj wrote:Any talk on Tom Luck coming to us ? I’ve heard he may have been delisted

Isn't he a WTTFC player at the moment. He is a 2024 SANFL U18 State Academy pick from The Eagles.

Ahh my source thought he was delisted from that Goddy guess they could be wrong

Mickyj wrote:Any talk on Tom Luck coming to us ? I’ve heard he may have been delisted

Wallaroo have announced him as a signing.

Yes. I've 'just checked the Wallaroo FC site and surprised to see his name there (assuming the same Tom Luck but photograph looks like him). Given that he's been training with the Academy and also made a couple of appearances with the Eagles League training, again, I'm surprised.
Perhaps, some circumstance besides footy has caused him to stay back at Yorke Peninsula while still coming down for Academy Training - only guessing, of course. From the Eagles' perspective, disappointing, but realistically he was not likely to play League this year even though he looks likely to be a walk-up SANFL League standard player in 2025.
So all is not lost. A good lad. Hope we see a lot of him in the Future with the Eagles

Aerie wrote:

Mickyj wrote:Any talk on Tom Luck coming to us ? I’ve heard he may have been delisted

Wallaroo have announced him as a signing.

I just think he is covering his backside. He comes from up there so there might be times when he might be able to sneak in the odd country game.
Definitely don't think he has quit the Eagles or the SANFL academy. If he doesn't get drafted I can see him having a 200 game league career at the Eagles.

Aerie wrote:

Mickyj wrote:Any talk on Tom Luck coming to us ? I’ve heard he may have been delisted

Wallaroo have announced him as a signing.

Yes, 4 hours ago.
And here we were worried about him being drafted .... by the AFL, not Wallarooooo !

Disappointing that a kid who got BOG in an U16 SANFL Grand Final win in 2022 is out of the system a year later.
I wonder if there is more to it, doesn't like life in the big city perhaps?

The Barton wrote:

Aerie wrote:

Mickyj wrote:Any talk on Tom Luck coming to us ? I’ve heard he may have been delisted

Wallaroo have announced him as a signing.

Yes, 4 hours ago.
And here we were worried about him being drafted .... by the AFL, not Wallarooooo !

Disappointing that a kid who got BOG in an U16 SANFL Grand Final win in 2022 is out of the system a year later.
I wonder if there is more to it, doesn't like life in the big city perhaps?

A baffling decision.

Given his performances in the juniors to date, the talent squads he's been added to and particularly given this is his draft year I am at a loss to understand what has happened.

I can only assume he's lost the passion for footy given he seemingly had the world at his feet.

One of my concerns is that when these sorts of situations have arisen with other players in the past, the Crows/Power have come swooping in on them 1-2 years later and manage to convince them to play in their SANFL teams (rather than returning to their State league club).

wimpy wrote:Looks like Chad Sayers will be the league runner this season.
He and brother Aaron played under age and a couple of reserves games for the Eagles.

Jed Thompson and a youngster from Western Australia named Dunn have also been cut.

Will Neumann did best in last nights 2km time trial - 6.10. His impressive pre-season might/should get him league games. Zac Buck also ran extremely well.

Cameron Fleeton was ecstatic at running a PB. He has been very surprised at the level of training, the intensity and the amount of running that has been done.

If Neumann gets a game where do we think he's best placed to play? Is he an outside mid or an 'in and under' type?

Can anyone tell me about Blake Renet? I think he played with Luke McKay at his club in the Riverina League and appears to have followed McKay to the Eagles. So a new recruit yet he hasn't been referred to by anyone and certainly not in any statements released from the club. Is he simply trialling rather than being offered a contract?

Separately, Feb 19 is the last date for AFL clubs to sign any train-in players as part of the SSP draft. We should know within a fortnight whether we get Beattie back from Freo.

Titan2 wrote:

wimpy wrote:Looks like Chad Sayers will be the league runner this season.
He and brother Aaron played under age and a couple of reserves games for the Eagles.

Jed Thompson and a youngster from Western Australia named Dunn have also been cut.

Will Neumann did best in last nights 2km time trial - 6.10. His impressive pre-season might/should get him league games. Zac Buck also ran extremely well.

Cameron Fleeton was ecstatic at running a PB. He has been very surprised at the level of training, the intensity and the amount of running that has been done.

If Neumann gets a game where do we think he's best placed to play? Is he an outside mid or an 'in and under' type?

Can anyone tell me about Blake Renet? I think he played with Luke McKay at his club in the Riverina League and appears to have followed McKay to the Eagles. So a new recruit yet he hasn't been referred to by anyone and certainly not in any statements released from the club. Is he simply trialling rather than being offered a contract?

Separately, Feb 19 is the last date for AFL clubs to sign any train-in players as part of the SSP draft. We should know within a fortnight whether we get Beattie back from Freo.

Not offical offical Titan Blake Renet was at the eagles members night Thursday night club took his picture with another player posted it on Facebook said he’s a recruit .

Full marks to Eagles (David Couzner) for his latest members' email explaining the weekly communication with members. Perhaps, David could use that forum to clarify the situation of Tom Luck - may turn out to be an over-reaction by enthusiastic supporters.